Apparatus for winding filament about three axes of a mandrel

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for winding fiberglass filament about three axes of a substantially rectangular mandrel. Five basic methods are employed where the filament feeding head is rotatable and reciprocative with respect to the mandrel and where the mandrel is rotatable and reciprocative with respect to the filament feeding head. Similarly, one of the elements can be rotated and the other thereof can be reciprocatable. The winding apparatus includes a supporting table and a series of clamps which are designed to automatically shift and rotate the mandrel to the second and third axis positions for winding about the three axes of the mandrel. A second embodiment of the apparatus employs mandrel tables located at 90* planes with respect to each other. The mandrel tables serve as supports and also as clamping members for changing the position of the mandrel. A plug-in programming mechanism is also provided for operating the apparatus on an automatic basis.

United States Patent Goldsworthy et al. 1

[s41 APPARATUS FOR WINDING 'FILAMENT ABOUT THREE AXES OF A MANDREL Inventors: William D. Goldsworthy, 2504 Novato Place, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. 90274; John A. Bunnell, 31186 Pedro St., South Laguna,

Calif. 92677 Filed: March 1, 1968 Appl. No.: 709,676

Related us. Application om Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 591,387, Oct.

18, 1966, abandoned, Continuation of Ser. No.

156,563, Nov. 29, 19 61, abandoned.

US. Cl. ..242/7.2l, 156/172, 156/175, 156/443, 169/25, 242/2, 242/7.02, 242/ 158.4 Int. Cl.

[ [58] Field of Search ..242/2, 3, 7.21, 7.22, 7.23, 242/7.14, 7.02, 158.4; 156/180, 175, 172,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1918 l-leckman ..242/7.23 2/1954 Huse 242/3 7/1955 Brodcn 156/446 H1956, Rusch ..156/l75 ll 1 961 Wiltshire ..242/2 X 10/1963 Fulton "1242/7. 14

[4 1 Oct. 31,1972

8/1965 Baker et al ..242/7. 22 x 3,263,309 8/1966 Carman et a1. ..242 7.14x

3,397,847 8/1968 Thaden ..242/7.22 OTHER-PUBLICATIONS [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus and method for winding fiberglass fi1ament about three axes of a substantially rectangular mandrel. Five basic methods are employed where the filament feeding head is rotatable and reciprocative with respect to the mandrel and where the mandrel is rotatable and reciprocative with. respect to the filament feeding head. Similarly, one of the elements can 8 be rotated and the other thereof can be reciprocatable. The winding apparatus includes a supporting table and a series of clamps which are designed to automatically shift and rotate the mandrel to the second and third axis positions for winding about the three axes of the mandrel. A second embodiment of the apparatus employs mandrel tables located at planes with respect to each other. The mandrel tables serve as supports and also as clamping members for changing the position of the mandrel. A plug-in programming mechanism is also provided for operating the apparatus on an automatic basis.

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ATTORNEY PA'TENTEDncm 1912 3,701,489

I sum 02 or 22 WILLIAM B, COLDSWORTHY, JOHN A BUHNELL.

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ATTORNEY PATENTED ET m2 3.701.489

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sum 07 0F 22 INVENTORS WILLIAM B. GOLDSWORTHY JOHN A. BUNNELL ATTORNEY PATENTEDUBI 3 1 I972 SHEET USUF 22 FIG. 25

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1. Apparatus of the character described comprising frame means, mandrel supporting means carried by said frame means, means carried by said frame means for feeding a continuous filament under tension about a mandrel carried by said mandrel supporting means, and drive means carried by said frame means providing a rotating and reciprocating movement between said mandrel supporting means and said filament feeding means; said drive means including separate drive means for rotating and reciprocating movement operable independently of one another for control of the local thickness of the filament wound on the mandrel; said filament feeding means including a rotatable filament feeding arm having a feeding end axially offset from the axis of rotation thereof; said mandrel supporting means including a mandrel supporting table, means to move said table in a vErtical direction, a downwardly movable mandrel stabilizing member operable to engage the upper end of the mandrel, and opposed movable mandrel supporting means operable to engage opposite sides of the mandrel.
 2. Apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said mandrel supporting means includes a hydraulic cylinder providing the movement thereof.
 3. Apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said
 3. apparatus defined means for supporting the opposite sides of the mandrel include flange plates rotatable about a horizontal axis slightly offset from the center of gravity of the mandrel thereby allowing the mandrel to rotate 90* about this axis due to gravitational effect.
 4. Apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said mandrel supporting table is rotatable about the vertical axis thereof independently of said table moving means.
 5. Apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said downwardly extending stabilizing member includes cam means providing a 90* rotation thereof.
 6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a mandrel having the exterior thereof composed of planar surfaces defining at least two pairs of opposing sides, means for engagingly supporting the mandrel on each of two opposing sides thereof, a filament arm supported for rotation adjacent the periphery of the mandrel about an axis passing through one pair of opposing sides, said filament arm being arranged for reciprocation in the direction parallel to said axis of rotation as to wrap filament on the second pair of opposing sides; means for disengaging the mandrel from the engaging support means and rotating the mandrel with respect thereto as to present the second pair of opposing mandrel sides for engagement with the engaging support means whereby the filament arm is arranged to wrap filament on the first pair of opposing sides.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the means for rotating the mandrel with respect to the support means comprise means for engaging the mandrel at at least two points so displaced from the center of gravity of the mandrel as to cause the mandrel to rotate under the force of gravity until the second pair of opposing sides are adjacent the support means.
 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the first pair of opposed mandrel sides join the second pair of opposed mandrel sides at the edges of the sides as to define corners at each juncture of edges; said mandrel including means mounted at said corners for preventing the slipping of filament wound on the mandrel from the mandrel.
 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the filament slip preventing means comprise omnidirectional pegs mounted at the corners of said mandrel to extend outwardly therefrom.
 10. Apparatus of the character described comprising frame means, mandrel supporting means carried by said frame means, means carried by said frame means for feeding a continuous filament under tension about a mandrel carried by said mandrel supporting means, first drive means carried by said frame means providing a reciprocating movement between said mandrel supporting means and said filament feeding means, second drive means carried by said frame means providing a rotating movement operable independently of said first drive means, said first and second drive means controlling the local thickness of the filament wound on the mandrel, said filament feeding means including a rotatable filament feeding arm, a feeding end on said feeding arm axially offset from the axis of rotation of said feeding arm, a mandrel supporting table operatively associated with said mandrel supporting means, means to move said table in a vertical direction, a downwardly movable mandrel stabilizing member operable to engage the upper end of the mandrel, and an opposed movable mandrel supporting means operable to engage one opposed vertical side wall of the mandrel.
 11. Apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein said mandrel supporting means includes a hydraulic cylinder providing the movement thereof. Pg,76
 12. Apparatus for bidirectionally wrapping a mandrel having a plurality of exterior surfaces comprising: frame means, filament feeding and driving means mounted on said frame means including a central member having an axis, a filament feeding arm operatively joined to said central member in longitudinally sliding relationship, means for rotating said filament feeding arm by rotation of said central member, means for simultaneously reciprocating said filament feeding arm along said central member, and mandrel support means mounted on said frame means in axial alignment with said central member, said mandrel support means being adapted to receive said mandrel and to reposition said mandrel with respect to said filament feeding arm whereby each of said exterior surfaces are provided with a bidirectional filament wrap, said mandrel support means including a vertically movable table, opposed horizontally movable clamping members including rotatable clamping heads, and a stabilizing member movably mounted in axially opposed relationship to said movable table.
 13. Apparatus for bidirectionally wrapping a mandrel having a plurality of exterior surfaces comprising: frame means, filament feeding and driving means mounted on said frame means including a central member having an axis, a filament feeding arm operatively joined to said central member in longitudinally sliding relationship, means for rotating said filament feeding arm by rotation of said central member, means for simultaneously reciprocating said filament feeding arm along said central member, and mandrel support means mounted on said frame means in axial alignment with said central member, said mandrel support means being adapted to receive said mandrel and to reposition said mandrel with respect to said filament feeding arm whereby each of said exterior surfaces are provided with a bidirectional filament wrap, said mandrel support means including a vertically movable table, an opposed horizontally movable intermediately engageable member, and a stabilizing member movably mounted in axially opposed relationship to said movable table. 